A page from my day planner - this week's page actually. This is going to be a new series of articles that details the process of game development. Sometimes it will focus on rules, but today we're going to talk about the process of developing a set of characters. Before I go too far into this I want to say that the notes above are going to change and we probably won't see the completion of these notes: from scribbled idea, to concept art, to sculpts, to finished product for about a year. The gears of development churn slowly. -Nick If you've sifted your way through either the Breaker or Prod sections of the blog (the Prods soon to be renamed Black Squadron) and clicked on the characters you will see they were all part of the "Assembling the Cast" series. For an example here is: Assembling the Cast: Test the Gen-Mod Brute . Trest - Breaker Gen-Mod When I started developing that first wave of characters I started with names and a basic archetype t...

Officer Hickley - Prod Goon with Shock Baton. Eager future Prods and Breakers! We've got our first casts in hand, and I have to say that I am ecstatic. Sure, there is always room for improvement and this is a learning process, but it doesn't change that this project has come so far in the last year, and rapid progress has been made in just the last 4 months. Valiant Enterprises has sent over three casts (two that we'll show today) and it was such an epic moment opening that parcel; very exciting indeed. That being said, Officer Hickley (above), was our first sculpt, and now we have him in hand and its a proud moment. Officer Hickley will be a Kickstarter and convention Exclusive character. He's a brutal tool of corporatocracy - a willing bloodthirsty goon. I'm even more excited because he is modeled after my friend and play tester - Chuck Hickey. Trest - Gen-Mod Brute with Rocksaw. Trest stands an epic 38mm from foot to eye. He is a genetically modifie...

Officer Hickley 3D sculpt by Tim Barry Happy Holidays to everyone out there following Broken Contract.We appreciate the support and interest you have all shown over the last year. I started posting about Broken Contract originally on 2ndcitywarzone.blogspot.com a little over a year ago now and when I created this blog, a core group of interested friends and colleagues followed. That group has grown steadily over time. Thank you all for the support! Speaking of 2ndcitywarzone, a month ago I wrote an article about how I got into gaming and how I've always wanted to design games. Its titled "How A1 Slave Pits of the Undercity Changed My Life" and it a good read if you like nostalgia, introspection, or background on how people like myself got involved in gaming. Back to Broken Contract! Long time followers will recognize the above 3D render as the first one I ever posted, way back in June/July. Officer Hickley is not one of the "core" characters to the ...

This week we have two new 3D sculpts to show off, both of Breaker Characters . These have gone through several stages of revision and I think they are where they need to be.  Talla Kellerman the Progen Mechanic 3D sculpt by Tim Barry First we have Talla Kellerman, the Progen Mechanic . Talla is a highly capable technician, and is a great asset to your crew of Breakers. Remembering door codes or getting machinery up and running - if you run into a situation where you need to make an Intellect Check, she's your best bet. However, getting her to join your crew is not as easy. As a Progen, she is child of the original colonists on Hathor, and receives better quarters and wages for her work than the rest of the Tracted workers. This makes breaking a much greater risk because she has more to lose. In the game, she must be negotiated with to join your crew. However, if you get her to join, she'll also be better at negotiating with other Progens you encounter along the way. ...

Trest, the Gen-Mod Brute art by Geng Gendall      Tracted life is a desperate struggle. Trapped in constant state of poverty the workers make dreadful bargains to balance their debts. The Gen-Mod program is one of those options. Volunteers undergo intensive medical and scientific procedures to produce tailor made children. At birth, they are taken away from their parents to trade-based orphanages that monitor and enhance physical and mental development through training and indoctrination. Trest is a result of the Brute mod program designed to create living tools to take the place of heavy equipment.      Despite the term "Brute", Trest is compassionate, thoughtful, and bright. The endless supply of steroids and drugs meant to tether him to his makers did not suppress his will to learn. His understanding of his life has fostered resentment and a burning will to break free. He knows withdrawal and dependency could kill him and though he feels great loyalt...

Early Trest concept art by Sam Alcarez. Possibly too "human"? I think so. This bit of color text probably won't see print, it was written more as me thinking out loud. One of the main characters in Broken Contract - Deep Underground is a Gen-Mod Brute named Trest. Trest is your archetypal ogrish character with high strength and a really big weapon. While working on concept sketches of Trest, Sam had questions that forced me to think a bit harder about how I envisioned Gen-Mods, how they came to be, and their role in this dystopian future. This is my attempt to articulate that. -Nick Science. The quest for understanding and the ability to change destiny through its application has led to wondrous advances in civilization. But science always has an element of fumbling in the dark, as mankind tampers with the unknown. Advancements in Genetic Experiments Genetically modified organisms became a commonly accepted scientific advancement in the 21st century. In an effor...